11/21/12

Socially Nurturing Architecture

Alessandro Giulio


SOCIAL HOUSING IN HISTORY
Spanning roughly between the eighteenth and nineteenth century, Europe underwent an apparent inflation of population caused directly by European immigration. The Industrial age brought about new jobs in newly developed industries. By that point in time, the working class accounted for a great portion of each state's wealth and success. By consequence modern movements, across Europe as a whole, were closely adjusting to the inflations in population. Social housing became a popular commission of work for many of the modernist architects of that day. With new lifestyles of the cities came new architecture for their inhabitants. It was a time of rebirth in a sense that brought forward modernity in the realms of social housing.





Common themes began to spring in the wake of the early social housing movement. Modernity strived to bring forward fast, inexpensive and often simple architecture for the success of social housing. Prefabrication took a strong role in these regards. For example, Le Corbusier had presented the infamous Maison Domino in 1914 as a prototype for both easily reproducible and modulating architecture. Years later in 1927, the Weissenhof exhibitions in Stuttgart served as yet another prototype development of richly defined architecture for new housing. Around this same time rose Karl Ehn’s Karl Marx Hof in Vienna, where the arrangement of social housing units nearly formed a fortified town with a large open court in the middle. This notion of valued architectural practice in social housing has since continued into our present day.

SOCIAL HOUSING IN OUR PRESENT TIME
Although a great deal of time has past, projects like Le Corbusier’s Unite’ d’Habitation and Jean Nouvel’s Nemausus has some similar aspects. Both of the projects were designed with social interaction in mind. The two projects form their own small villages, fully sustaining spaces for work, play and sleep. They are centers of sustained activity, exchange and healthy living. Their human experience are somewhat similar as well. Both of the projects display careful design of daylighting and interactions with the natural elements. Balconies and patios are implemented into both of the projects in order to activate outdoor space and dynamic facades. Circulation between and across floors are equally represented accordingly in both projects. Dissimilar to Nouvel’s Nemausus, Unite’ d’Habitation was originally designed to be nearly a self-sustaining complex. Recalling Le Corbusier’s often industry-driven architecture, Nouvel displays homage to Le Corbusier by designing Nemausus to resemble two fleeting ships.





Technologies play a significant role in the facades of our present day social and complex housing. With an increasing desire to unitize and modulate each apartment, technology has allowed architecture to transform at a moments notice. Take for example the Housing Carabanchel by FOA in Madrid with its remarkable facade. The project utilizes a double skin facade, with operable bamboo shades that create a randomized pattern of openings and closures. These dynamics work both aesthetically and physically for residents of the building and surrounding community.



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